One Night at Donaghy's
by Jack Donaghy's Lover
Summary: Post Avery goes to Korea, Jack invites Liz over.  She's a mess of confused emotions.


"This better be important," Liz said to herself, taking one last bite of a Poptart. She shut off the TV - so much for the Designing Women marathon. Well, maybe she could catch some of it when she got back. Who knew how long she'd be at Jack's, though.

He'd called her and told her to come over, it was urgent. He wouldn't tell her what was going on. "Not over the phone, Lemon. I'll tell you when you get here."

It felt weird, walking in front of his building. She'd been there so few times, it was kinda like running into a teacher outside of school. Awkward. And Jack was like a teacher of sorts, anyway, wasn't he? She thought of all the advice he'd given her over the years. He was her mentor, afterall. Now maybe he needed her help? What was it about? The only advice she felt qualified to give to him would be work-related, and it didn't seem like he'd be calling her after hours to come over for something to do with TGS. No, that didn't fit.

Maybe it was about Avery being gone. Nothing caused Jack grief like the women in his life, that was for sure. Their "date" came to mind, the time they'd went to that birthday party and he'd run into his ex-wife and pretended Liz was his girlfriend. What a night that had been. Though she'd never admitted it to anyone, she'd liked being his girl for the night. Even if it was just for show. Even if the whole shindig hadn't been her cup of tea. It was nice. The way they'd walked in, arm in arm, how he'd taken that necklace off her and she'd thought -

She stopped, as she always did when her memory conjured up that night. Nothing had happened. He wasn't going to kiss her. Just getting the necklace back. It was ridiculous that she'd ever thought otherwise. Or worse yet, that she still thought about it four years later. It was wrong to think about something that never could be.

The doorman cleared his throat and Liz jumped. Standing there like an idiot. She smiled nervously, told him who she was there for. Time to go up and help her friend. Friend, dammit. Friends didn't half-fantasize about each other on their front porches when the other one was having a crisis.

She rode the elevator up to Jack's apartment. He stood in the doorway, wearing his usual dress pants and a tank top. She did a double-take. Jack Donaghy, after six, not in a tux?

"What are you, a farmer?" she said. That's right, keep the humor, she told herself. Joke about him being dressed like that instead of checking him out. But she couldn't help it. She felt the heat of a blush creep up her face. God, he had nice arms. So big, strong, and hairy. In the five years she'd known him, she'd never seen them. They were always hidden under his suits.

"No," Jack said and gestured at his shirt. "I just put this on to impress you."

For a second, she couldn't tell if he'd noticed that she was checking him out and mocking her...or if he was serious. No, no Jack would never say anything like that. So she laughed and felt the blush grow hotter. Blerg! What was this, high school? Get a grip, Liz, get a grip.

"So what's going on? Is something the matter?" she said.

He motioned for her to come in and closed the door behind her. "Have a drink first."

She walked into his living room as he disappeared into the kitchen. The night city skyline was in full view from his window. She took a deep breath and stared out at it. Tension built in her stomach. It was a feeling she'd had stepping onto carnival rides as a kid and at her interview for starting TGS. Never otherwise, never since, and never for a man. Why now? Why so suddenly? Was it because Avery was finally out of the picture, in Korea? Avery, the coniving bitch she never could stand, though she'd never breathed a word of it to anyone. Or because Jack was in trouble? Or was he? He didn't seem nearly as upset as she'd pictured him to be. What the hell was going on?

He came back in the living room, glass of wine in each hand, and handed one to Liz.

"Thanks. I thought you were more into bourbon, though." Or was it scotch? She couldn't remember. Oh, that probably sounded stupid. He probably thought -

"I thought you liked wine better so I got this out." He motioned at the couch. "You want to sit down?"

She took a big gulp of wine, shut her eyes. "Just tell me what's going on. I'm not gonna lie, Jack, I'm all nervous because I thought something was really wrong. When you called, I -

He put up a hand. "Relax, Lemon. Nothing's really wrong."

"Is it about Avery? You missing her, needed some company?"

"No, it's not about her. She was gone half the time, anyway. What kind of marriage is that? I know how awful that sounds, your wife gets captured by Kim Jong Ill and all you have to say is what kind of marriage did we have anyway, but it's the truth. I never should've married her." He cleared his throat. "I think it happened for a reason. I'm probably the last person you'd expect to go all New Age, fate talk, but I see it. Yeah. It was meant to be."

Liz set her glass down, turned her back to Jack. She could feel adrenaline surging through her body, her heart thudding loudly in her ears. Was he getting at what she thought he was getting at? Or was this some crazy dream? Or misunderstanding? God, please don't let it be another one of those. Another embarassing moment where she thought she had something good but lost out. Again.

She felt him standing right behind her and he wrapped his arms around her. The effect was instant, she'd never felt so safe and comforted in her life. The smell of his cologne washed over her. She leaned back into him, ran her hand up and down his arm.

"It was you, Lemon, it was always you," he whispered. His breath was warm on the back of her neck, his voice low and raspy. His stubble grazed against her skin. "You're the only one I was ever meant to be with, and I can tell you now. No more Avery in the way. Just us, the way it's supposed to be."

He put his hands on her waist and turned her around so that they were face to face. She kept absent-mindedly running her fingers through the hair on his arm. His eyes were so blue, and in them she saw love, nothing but love. No one had ever looked at her like that before. Not Carol, not Floyd, not any of them. This was the way it was supposed to be, like Jack said, the way she'd always dreamed about her One-and-Only being. Jack had tears in his eyes, and she realized, she did, too.

"Oh Jack, I've felt things...felt things for you for a long time but I shoved them away because I didn't think I could ever have you. I chalked it up to a little crush and told myself to get over it, but I never really did."

He touched her face. "I knew you did. I could feel it."

She leaned closer. This was it, the prelude to a kiss, the moment you knew everything between you and the man before you would change forever. Liz closed her eyes and his parted lips were on hers, soft and warm. They wrapped their arms around each other and she clung to him, pulling him tight against her as he kissed her. She was lost in the moment, in the kiss, in him.

"Lemon," he said after he pulled back. He looked into her eyes, ran a finger down her cheek.

"I think you can call me Liz now."


End file.
